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Securing auto insurance after a DWI

No matter why you ended up with a DWI in North Carolina in the first place, your old insurance provider pulled your coverage. You need to work to earn an income, and you do not want to risk getting caught driving without insurance.

Here is some guidance on the steps necessary to find insurance as someone with a DWI on her or his record. Start reclaiming your life, one policy payment at a time.

Gather quotes

Besides your DWI, several other factors decide how much you pay for auto insurance. Gather quotes from as many reputable insurance providers as you can, making sure you disclose your DWI so you know if they can cover you. With several different quotes, you have a solid idea of your overall price range. Double-check with your old insurance company to see if there is any way they could cover you. If so, you can enjoy your old quality of coverage, albeit at a likely higher rate.

Get your SR-22 form

While you gather insurance quotes, go ahead and request, fill out and submit an SR-22 form, which proves you have insurance after your DWI. You can file the form with the DMV yourself, or have your new insurance provider handle it. Just know that if you cancel your auto insurance (or allow it to lapse) for any reason after filing your SR-22, you can expect law enforcement to be on the lookout for you and your vehicle.

Continue work on lowering your rates

Once you manage to secure auto coverage after your DWI, keep working with your new (or old) provider to do what you can to lower your rates. For instance, bundling policies, securing a new job, changing zip codes or getting a different car all impact the cost of your premiums. Consider changes that do not require you to go too much out of your way and that you can easily sustain. Over time, your rates decrease, so stick with it.